Phogat, V.; Šimůnek, J.; Petrie, P.; Pitt, T.; Filipović, V. Sustainability of a Rainfed Wheat Production System in Relation to Water and Nitrogen Dynamics in the Soil in the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. Sustainability2023, 15, 13370.
Phogat, V.; Šimůnek, J.; Petrie, P.; Pitt, T.; Filipović, V. Sustainability of a Rainfed Wheat Production System in Relation to Water and Nitrogen Dynamics in the Soil in the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. Sustainability 2023, 15, 13370.
Phogat, V.; Šimůnek, J.; Petrie, P.; Pitt, T.; Filipović, V. Sustainability of a Rainfed Wheat Production System in Relation to Water and Nitrogen Dynamics in the Soil in the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. Sustainability2023, 15, 13370.
Phogat, V.; Šimůnek, J.; Petrie, P.; Pitt, T.; Filipović, V. Sustainability of a Rainfed Wheat Production System in Relation to Water and Nitrogen Dynamics in the Soil in the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. Sustainability 2023, 15, 13370.
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) applications can play a key role in achieving profitable wheat production in the low-fertility soils prevalent under rainfed conditions. The model-predicted N partitioning revealed that ammonia-nitrogen (NH4-N) contributed little to the plant N nutrition, and its concentration in the soil remained below 2 ppm throughout the crop season except immediately after the NH4-N based fertilizer application. Nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) gradually increased (maximum 144 ppm) with time, especially in the 0-40 cm horizons, and contributed to most N uptake during both seasons at both locations. The N losses from the soil at the medium rainfall site (3.5-20.5 kg ha-1) were mainly attributed to NH4-N volatilization (Nv) and NO3-N leaching (NL) below the crop root zone. Water productivity (8-40 kg ha-1 mm-1) and N use efficiency (31-41 kg kg-1) showed immense variability induced by climate, water availability, and N dynamics in the soil. These results suggest that combining water balance and N modeling can help manage N applications to optimize wheat production and minimize N losses in rainfed agriculture.
Keywords
wheat; rainfed; water balance; nitrogen uptake; water productivity; nitrogen use efficiency; HYDRUS
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Agricultural Science and Agronomy
Copyright:
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